Arms
by KawaiixCherryxBlossom
Summary: The sequel to Believe Again. It's Professor Oak's 60th Birthday Party, and everyone has been invited! After secretly dating for a few months, Misty agrees to go with Gary as his date, revealing their relationship to the world...and Ash Ketchum.
1. Ours

**Arms**

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><p>Hi everyone! It's me, Kawaii Cherry Blossom. I have changed my pen name. :)<p>

This story is the sequel to 'Believe Again'. I had so many people asking for another chapter that I just thought, oh well, why not turn it into another story! I'll bring back a lot of the other characters from the anime in this one. You could also read this as a standalone story. I really hope you enjoy it! I love hearing your comments, and it's because of them that I started writing this sequel. So if you want to spur me on, just leave me a little review. :)

The story title is from the song 'Arms' by Christina Perri, and the chapter title is from the song 'Ours' by Taylor Swift.

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

_Ours_

It was 10:30 am when the sound of doorbell chimes filled the Cerulean Gym. Misty Waterflower almost slipped on the edge of the pool where she was feeding her Psyduck, but not because the sound was a surprise to her. It was more the millions of Butterfree that suddenly filled her chest, and the way her heart abruptly started pounding so hard she thought the whole of Cerulean City must be able to hear it, that startled her. Misty took a deep breath to calm herself as she brushed her wet hands on her denim shorts to dry them. She was used to this reaction, because no matter how many times he rang that doorbell, it still happened the same.

As she practically ran to the door, she let her hair fall from its messy ponytail to hang loosely around her shoulders. She reached the door in less than thirty seconds, and pulled it open with an anticipative smile and an excited heart.

"Gary Oak," her nerves were, in a way, instantly calmed upon seeing his green eyes, and yet instantly ignited at the same time.

"Misty Waterflower," he said, his face lit up with its usual charismatic smile, his eyes glittering with smug anticipation. He leaned in to plant a kiss on her waiting lips, which she accepted with an air of satisfaction – she had not seen him for a whole week, which these days, seemed like years to her. When he pulled away, it always felt like it was too soon.

"I come bearing an invitation," he said, holding up a yellow envelope as he walked through the door. Misty closed it after him, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"An invitation? What for?"

Gary handed over the envelope, which Misty opened. On the fancy white paper inside were the details for…

"It's your grandfather's 60th birthday?"

"Yep," Gary replied simply, running his hands through his hair – something which Misty knew, he only did when he was nervous. Growing suspicious, she read over the rest of the card. The party was to be held two weeks from today at the Oak Laboratory in Pallet Town. From the look of the invitation, it was to be an elegant affair.

"This is great. I'd be honored to come for Professor Oak."

"Awesome…" Gary smiled uncomfortably, before swiftly changing the subject, "so, what do you want to do today?"

Misty was not buying it, however.

"Gary… Why are you acting so weird?"

"What do you mean, weird?"

"Is there something you're not telling me about this party?" she took a step closer to him, holding up the invitation and narrowing her eyes.

Gary gave a brilliantly innocent smile, one which only latest only a few seconds however under Misty's accusatory stare.

"Uh…well…I guess you're gonna find out sooner or later…" he muttered nervously. Misty started to grow nervous – what was it that was so hard for him to say?

"This party is…pretty big. There are going to be a lot of people there."

"Yes…I gathered that," Misty said softly, aquamarine eyes on his downward stare. Finally, he looked up at her.

"A lot of people…including Ash," he stated in finality. Misty breathed out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding in.

"O-oh," she said, trying her best not to look uncomfortable, when in fact she was. She looked the invitation over once more to divert her attention from his gaze, which was now totally serious as he watched her reaction.

"Look Misty," she looked away from the invitation to meet his surprisingly hesitant and nervous expression. "I…I really love spending time with you, and I think we really have something special here. That's why I wanted to ask if you would go to the party…with me…as my date."

Misty's eyebrows rose and her face flushed at his admission, and the way his eyes flashed intensely as he watched her every reaction. This was suddenly a serious situation, because after all, they had told no one about their relationship. It had only been a few months, and Gary's visits to the Gym had been disguised as trips to drop off Pokémon food. Misty's sisters were never around enough to suspect anything. It was the perfect crime. Showing up at a party together, however – not so much.

Before she could speak, he went on.

"I know that would mean people would see us, but-"

"Yes," Misty said with a small smile.

"Yes? As in…?" Misty giggled and reached forward to put her hands on his arms.

"As in, yes, of course I'll go with you. I would love to," she said honestly.

"It means everyone will know though. We won't be a secret anymore. Not to anybody, not even to…"

"Ash," she finished his sentence, her hands falling down to her sides. "But…that's okay."

"It is?"

"Yes, because I love spending time with you too, Gary. And I think we have something special. Me and you. Nobody else matters."

As soon as she had spoken the words, the nervousness disappeared from his face, replaced with a smile that erased all traces of his unease. He pulled her into an embrace, secretly thanking the Gods that she had agreed. He had, of course, anticipated that she might not have wanted to reveal their relationship yet, especially in front of her best friend and former crush. It wasn't something that Gary had shared with anybody but his own thoughts, but in truth, Gary was threatened by Ash Ketchum. He was, these days especially, a very successful Pokémon trainer, but more than that, he was and always had been the better person in a lot of ways. Gary may have been more clever than him, but Ash had a good heart, and he was one of those people that everyone loved – that he knew Misty had loved for a very long time. Gary was falling for Misty in a way that was so beyond his own control it terrified him, but he had this nagging feeling that if Ash was to come back, he would realise he did have feelings for Misty. Who would Misty choose, if faced with a such a decision? Gary had an intensifying fear that it would, in fact, be Ash Ketchum.

Misty laid her head on Gary's shoulder as he pulled her closer, contemplating the situation with due hesitation. Misty had feelings for Gary that she had never felt for anybody before, not even Ash, whom she had had a crush on for a lot of her life. She knew she would have to see Ash someday, and she knew that if things carried on with Gary that he would have to find out about it, but she had not really expected it to all happen so soon. In truth, she had no idea how she would react to seeing Ash again after such a long time. It would be good, for sure, to see her friend again, but what would become of her feelings for him? Would they return upon seeing him again? How would Ash react to seeing her? And how would he react to seeing her with Gary?

Misty supposed she would find out in two weeks. Until then, she was sure she was going to be living in a bubble of nervous anticipation, wondering over and over just how it would all pan out.

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><p>To be continued...<p> 


	2. Kaleidoscope Heart

**Arms**

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><p>Thanks for the reviews everyone. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and there's plenty more to come. :) xoxo<p>

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

_Kaleidoscope Heart_

Misty couldn't help but smile as she looked over the beautiful dress hanging against her wardrobe. She had chosen it after an exhausting day of shopping last weekend. Misty was not a fan of shopping, especially whole days of it, but she had to admit she had been more than pleased with her dress. It was simple and understated, just like she had wanted. Black-tie, formal events were not a common part of Misty's life. She remembered her sisters dragging her to fancy parties when she was too young to protest, but back then they seemed dull and boring. Today, though, she wasn't dreading the caviar, sparkly dresses and high heels - she was actually looking forward to getting dressed up, stepping out in public with Gary, and finally admitting to the world that they were seeing each other.

It wasn't that either of them had been ashamed of the fact that they were dating, it was more the fact that they were enjoying spending time together without prying eyes that had kept them from revealing it. A Gym Leader's personal life was, to her dissatisfaction, quite a big deal to the outside world - especially when it came to who she was dating. She knew that once she and Gary were ousted, privacy would become a lot more difficult. Their secret relationship was also very convenient for Misty, because it meant she didn't have to face certain people, or specifically a certain person. It wasn't that she thought what she was doing was wrong - by no means, she could date whomever she wanted. She just had no idea what he would think about it. Would he hate the idea, or welcome it? Would he care at all? Did he even think about her these days? Misty had long since given up on the idea that Ash could or would ever have feelings for her, and her unexpected feelings for Gary had more than filled that black hole of despair. But, she wondered now as she ran her hand over the smooth satin on the dress, what if he really didn't like the idea of her and Gary? What if he hated it? Could she deal with losing her friend in order to keep a relationship with Gary?

Misty was pulled abruptly from her thoughts as her eyes glanced up to look at the clock. 4:00! Gary was picking her up at 5!

One hour later, Misty was checking her reflection in her full length mirror. Though she had rushed, she was satisfied with the result. Her dress was a shade of teal green, which was deep enough that it almost matched her eyes perfectly. It was floor length and made of exquisite satin that hugged her curves in a way that actually made her proud to have them. Jewelled spaghetti straps held it up and it was encrusted with a jewelled, gathered waist. The skirt gathered at the waist and fell like waves of the ocean to the floor, where she wore silver peep-toe heels. Her ginger hair was styled into loose curves and pinned up on one side with a pretty silver clip, and she wore a little blush and mascara to complement the softness of the look. Her sisters were away all week, and she was sort of glad that they weren't there to make a big deal about everything and turn her into their personal styling doll, but she was glad that they had taught her how to do her hair and makeup so that she could do it in a style that suited her best. At heart, Misty was a tomboy and she always felt more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, but tonight, it felt strangely nice to be all dressed up. Plus, she couldn't wait to see the look on Gary's face when he saw her!

Misty had enough time to pick up her silver clutch bag when the doorbell rang. She took that moment to have a nervous breakdown on the spot, as she felt her chest tighten and her stomach do enough flip-flops that she felt a little nauseous. In getting ready, she hadn't had time to be nervous, but she was terribly so. A fancy party, a public announcement about her and Gary, seeing Ash, cameras and photographers and reporters... How could she have agreed to this?

Misty was still fretting as she made her way from her room to the Gym's foyer, annoyed at being slowed down by the heels that she was in no way used to. How her sisters wore these things all the time was beyond her.

Finally, she swung the door open to reveal Gary, clad in a fitted charcoal suit with a vest, white shirt and black skinny tie. His hair was spiked in its usual fashion, and his eyes, well, they were set ahead in a stare which was making Misty's cheeks flush.

"I...uh...um..." Misty giggled inwardly - she had obviously had the desired affect. Boys were so predictable, though she was totally flattered.

"What is it?" she teased, and he seemed to gather his wit.

"You look...beautiful..." he trailed off, eyes taking in the sight of her. He was truly gobsmacked in way that he had never been before.

Misty's face turned redder - she was sure it matched her hair by now. Gary leaned forward and kissed her, and then took her hand.

"Ready to go?"

"Yep," Misty nodded, hoping her face was recovering from its hotness. She would't want to turn up at the party looking like a tomato.

Gary led Misty to his sports car, waiting directly outside the Gym. Soon after, they were driving towards Pallet Town.

"So...after tonight...everyone will know about us. Are you sure you're okay with that?" Gary asked as they cruised along Route 1.

"Yeah," Misty nodded confidently. "I'll miss our privacy, but we can't keep it a secret forever, right?"

"Right. Ah, Misty...there's something I haven't told you..." Misty's heart lurched.

"What?"

"My... My uh...my parents are coming tonight," he said quickly, as though the faster the words came out the less damage it would cause. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work that way.

"What?" Misty was sent into a reeling panic. On top of everything else, she would have to meet Gary's parents tonight? He had only mentioned them a few times, to say that they lived in Australia and he hadn't seen them since he was ten years old.

"Gary! Why the hell didn't you tell me? Didn't you think this is something I might have to prepare for? Oh my God, oh my God..." Misty was halfway to hyperventilating, and they were halfway to Pallet Town.

"Hey, don't stress!" he chuckled, though nervously. "They're not that bad. I had to be born out of some type of brilliance, right?"

"Not helping!" Misty was frantically checking her reflection in the car's small cosmetic mirror attached to the sun visor. The first thing they would notice about her was her looks. What if they didn't like her? She had never met a boyfriend's parents before, heck, she had never had a boyfriend before.

"Stop," Gary put a hand over hers. "You look amazing, and they're going to love you. How could they not?"

Misty had to admit, that was a sweet thing to say, and with a sigh she forgot the mirror and turned to him.

"Ok...well, I guess there's not much sense in panicking now. Right, give me the lowdown - I want to know everything there is to know about your parents."

Over the course of the drive, Misty learned that Gary's parents were doctors, they lived in Sydney, Australia, they left Gary with his grandfather when he was ten because he had much more of an interest in Pokemon than they did and he would have better opportunities and learn more from Professor Oak than he would from them. The Professor was his mother's father, and his parents had one more child - Gary's older sister Daisy (she thought it ironic that she had the same name as her sister) was a model (also ironic!) and would also be there tonight.

By the time they reached Pallet Town, the fact that she would be seeing Ash tonight was just another complication in a collection of others. She tried in earnest to think only of the things she was looking forward to tonight - such as seeing Brock, May, Max and a collection of other people she had not seen in a long time. Amongst the others in attendance were Gym Leaders from all over the country, members of the Elite Four and Gary had told her that even Lance the Dragon Master was coming. Professor Oak was such a highly respected figure in the world of Pokemon, she wasn't surprised. Perhaps she would even get to see her idol, Lorelai again!

Yes, tonight was going to go just fine, she told herself, and then hoped like hell that she was right.

_To be continued…_

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><p>Credits: Chapter title is from the album 'Kaleidoscope Heart' by Sara Bareilles.<p> 


	3. Heart in Chains

**Arms**

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

_Heart in Chains_

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><p>The Oak Laboratory looked like it never had before. Misty was so used to the small house and windmill that was the first thing you saw when you approached the huge grounds, that the gigantic marquee set up outside of it was a bit of a shock to her. They drove in silence up the dirt path and the nerves that had been fluttering in her stomach all day started getting stronger. Before she knew it, Gary was holding his hand out to her to get out of the car.<p>

There was no turning back now.

Hand in hand, they walked down the red carpet leading to the marquee. If Misty had a chance to stop and think about it, it would have felt totally unreal. With her hand clasped around Gary's she felt a little like Cinderella - totally out of place, yet loving every minute. Two burly security guards stood at the entrance, obviously stopping any reporters or cameras from entering the party, because they all swarmed on Gary and Misty as they made their way towards the marquee.

"Gary Oak!" one called as they approached them in a run.

"Who is that girl with him?"

"Isn't that Misty Waterflower?"

"The Cerulean Gym Leader? I think you're right!"

Misty could hear their whispers but she kept her hand tight around Gary's and her eyes straight ahead. He gave her hand a squeeze. Misty certainly wasn't used to this sort of attention - she was more attune to not being noticed at all, but being there with Gary gave her a sense of calm that she was sure she wouldn't be feeling if she was on her own. He was used to this, so she would let him handle it and just follow his lead.

"Mr Oak!" a middle-aged female reporter with long black hair and violet eyes approached them and shoved a microphone in his face. Gary only smiled his confident smile and stopped to give the reporter a few moments.

"Yes, Madison?" He obviously knew her.

"Mr Oak, tell us, is this beautiful young lady your _girlfriend_?" she asked with a suggestive wink. Misty blushed at being referred to in such a way, but Gary only took it all in his stride.

"Now, Madison, you should know by now that I like to keep my private life, private," he said. Misty was already impressed at the way he was handling himself.

"Well, by the way you're acting, I'd say the two of you look pretty close. Come on Mr Oak, for old time's sake, won't you give us a scoop?"

This woman was relentless, Misty thought. The microphone was once again shoved in Gary's face and more cameramen hovered around. Misty tried to remain as calm as possible as Gary gave them a simple wave-off.

"Take from it what you will," he said with a charismatic smile and wink that even seemed to make Madison go weak, for she did not pursue the interview and they were free to keep walking. The entrance to the tent seemed so far away, and Misty felt so conscious of herself, and she was more than relieved when they finally reached the entrance.

The inside of the marquee was dazzling. Strips of blue and white fabric led from the edge of the tent to form a peak in the middle of the marquee. Fairy lights glittered and sparkled around the walls, giving the space a romantic and intimate feel. Tables were set up around the marquee and topped with candelabras filled with white candles that cast an additional glow within the room. Waiters in black and white wandered around the room offering canapes and mini treats to the guests who had already arrived. Misty scanned the people, but she didn't recognise any of her friends.

"Little brother!" they heard a voice squeal, and Misty barely had time to turn her head in the direction of the voice, when they were bombarded by a girl with shiny mahogany hair, hazel eyes and stunning looks, dressed in a very designer-looking black one-shoulder dress that ended at her knees. On her feet she wore heels so high that they made Misty's feet hurt just at the thought of wearing them. Because of that, the girl - who Misty safely assumed was Gary's sister, was the same height as her younger brother.

"Hey, sis," he addressed her casually, and then glanced at Misty. "This is Misty. Misty, Daisy."

"Oh, so _this_ is the girl that has you smiling all the time," Daisy said with a wink to her brother, who in turn turned a deep shade of red. "It's nice to meet you, Misty. I love your dress! That colour looks so pretty on you!"

"Thanks," Misty felt herself go a little pink in the cheeks - she wasn't used to taking complements, especially on her looks. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Where is gramps?" Gary had seemed to recover from his momentary embarrassment.

Just a few moments later, the crowd assembled in the marquee got louder.

"Ah, there he is now," Daisy glanced over to the far corner where the Professor was entering into his birthday celebration, dressed in a black suit with tails and a top hat. A red bow tie was pinned to his white shirt. Various people approached him as he made his way through the crowd, humbly accepting all the well-wishes that came his way. As he made his way over to Misty, Gary and Daisy, Misty spied a few people that she knew - Erika of the Celadon CIty Gym, Agatha of the Elite Four, Professor Ivy - she made a mental note to keep Brock a fair distance from that woman - and Professor Elm.

"I hardly think the top hat is necessary, Daisy," Professor Oak said sheepishly as he finally reached them.

"Not at all, grandpa! You look dashing!" Daisy had obviously acted as her grandfather's stylist. Misty couldn't help but think that she would get along with her sisters just fine.

"Grandpa, you remember Misty Waterflower," Gary said with an expression of nervous pride.

"You look very handsome, Professor," Misty said, moving forward to embrace him. "Happy Birthday."

"Why thank you, Misty. It's great to see you again, and looking beautiful I must say," Misty blushed embarrassedly again. How long would it take her to get used to this!

"Thank you."

"How are your Pokémon doing at the Gym?"

"Oh, just great! The food you have been sending is working wonders, so thank you."

Professor Oak laughed heartily, "Oh, no problems at all. It's my pleasure."

His eyes met briefly with Gary's with a knowing expression.

"Come on, grandpa, there are many people for you to meet!" Daisy instructed and preceded to usher her grandfather over to the next group of people.

"Right, you ready for a drink?" Gary asked her.

"I'd love one," she replied.

"I'll be right back," Gary smiled his irresistible smile as he left. She was watching him go, wondering how it was possible that somebody could make her so happy just by being with her, when she heard a voice call her name - a voice that, though deeper, she recognised right away. Ash.

Misty froze. He was here, right behind her in fact. In that moment she realised she wasn't ready to face him, but unfortunately running away was out of the question. Misty turned, and he was as surprised to see her as she was afraid to see him.

He had changed, she couldn't help but notice as he made his way over to her. In his black suit, white shirt and black skinny tie, he looked mighty grown up, and Misty had to admit, mighty handsome. He had tried to tame his wild mane of jet black hair but it still stuck up in every direction. What was most different was his face, with its childlike features now faded into maturity, the shadow of stubble visible on his chin, and his height, which as he finally reached Misty came to match hers, even with her heels on. It was then that Misty truly realised how long it had been.

His chocolate eyes danced in a smile.

"It _is_ you. You look _different_," Misty couldn't help but feel uneasily awkward as he stared at her as though he had never seen a girl before in his life.

"So do you."

"My mum made me wear this _stupid_ suit," he said as he shuffled his tie in discomfort. "But, anyway, I didn't know you were coming! It's _great_ to see you! Are you here with your sisters?"

Misty felt a pang of _something_ hit her heart so hard that it rendered her unable to speak.

"I...uh..." she stammered. "Where's Pikachu?"

"Oh...he's out playing with the other Pokémon. He couldn't wait to see them all. We've been in Unova for quite a while now, see, so it's nice to come back home for a bit."

"How long are you staying?" Misty's nerves were rising - it would only be a matter of seconds before Gary would return.

"We go back the day after tomorrow. I left Iris and Cilan in Nacrene City, and they're waiting for me to leave for the next town. I can't wait to show you my new Pokémon Mist! Pokémon from Unova are so different! There are even Pokémon that change colour according to the season! Isn't that amazing!" Misty couldn't help but feel slightly relaxed at Ash's excitable chatter and the way his eyes lit up with confidence when he spoke of Pokémon.

"It sounds like Unova was a great decision then."

"Yeah, it's the best!"

"Well if it isn't Ashy-boy," Misty had been so deterred by Ash's chatter that she hadn't noticed Gary approach them, looking as confident as Misty felt apprehensive.

"Hey, Gary," Ash acknowledged his old friend and rival with a respectable nod. "Do you _have _to keep calling me that? We're not kids anymore you know..."

Gary laughed his request off and handed Misty a fancy looking cocktail that she assumed was non-alcoholic - then again, with Gary, you never did know, she thought with a chuckle.

"You're right," Gary muttered with a knowing glance at his girlfriend. "Definitely not kids anymore."

Misty looked back at him, feeling so uncomfortable and asking Gary with her eyes how they were going to get through this.

Meanwhile, across from them, Ash was starting to pick up on Gary and Misty's strange behaviour.

"So Mist... You never answered my question."

"Question?" Misty feigned ignorance, hoping Ash would grow tired of the game and give up, but he sure wasn't as dense as he used to be.

"Are you here with your sisters? I'm sure Brock would _love _to see them."

Misty would have laughed and made an annoyed comment about Brock's pervertedness, but she was totally distracted.

"No, I...uh..." she stammered.

"She's here with me," Gary finished her sentence for her. As Misty took a nervous breath, Ash's brow creased in confusion.

"What?" he asked, and then paused as he heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Ash! Misty!" May called out as she rushed towards them, an ecstatic smile on her face. Misty had never been more glad for a distraction in her life, and she accepted May's friendly embrace.

"Misty, it's so good to see you! You look _amazing!" _

"Thanks, May. It's good to see you too!"

As May gave Ash a hug and he awkwardly introduced her to Gary, Misty couldn't help but notice that May had done a lot of growing up of her own. In her knee-length, red cocktail dress with Grecian-like draping and a jeweled belt cinching in her tiny waist, she looked beautiful. Her auburn hair was pulled to one side in loose curls that draped over her shoulder, and her silver heels made her almost as tall as Misty, who couldn't help but notice the way Ash had done a double-take when he saw her. Did Ash have a thing for May? She had always suspected it when they were kids, but back then the thought of him being with someone else was out of the question. Now, not so much.

"So...what's happening? I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Not at all!" Misty piped up a little too awkwardly, but if May had noticed, she didn't shown it.

"I've lost Max already," May said with a sigh as she glanced around the room.

"Max is here? Awesome!" Ash's eyes lit up. "I haven't seen him in so long!"

"I'm sure he's dying to tell you all about his training journey. His Grovyle just evolved into Sceptile."

"Wow, that's great," Misty smiled, she had always had a soft spot for May's little brother and she was glad to hear he was doing so well.

An uncomfortable silence blanketed the four - Misty glanced at Gary, whose expression was unreadable, then at Ash, who seemed lost in his own thoughts. After a few seconds, May, whose intuition was telling her that something was going on with her friends, grabbed Misty's arm.

"C'mon Misty, I want to hear all about where you got that stunning dress from," she said. As Misty followed her lead, she glanced back at Ash and Gary, who remained in an edgy silence. Gary was showing no indication of his reaction to telling Ash that Misty was his date. Before Misty could properly think about it, she and May had reached the other side of the room, where they were far away enough to have a conversation without being overheard.

"Misty...what was going on back there?" May asked immediately, her azure eyes wide with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Misty hesitated, glancing back at the boys - Ash had found Brock, with Max hot on his tail, engaging the two older boys in an array of flurried chatter. Gary was chatting with Professor Birch. He glanced over at Misty with his penetrating stare; she felt her cheeks flush as she turned back to May.

With a sigh, Misty decided there was no point trying to cover anything up, and she had to admit it would be nice to have a girl to talk to about all this stuff. May was a good friend and she trusted her.

"Promise me you won't flip out," Misty said anxiously, and May's eyes widened further.

"I promise! Come on, you're killing me here."

"Um...well..." she played with the words in her mind, before giving up and blurting out, "Gary and I have been dating...for a few months..."

Misty watched as May's reaction turned to one of shocked and surprised, and then befuddlement.

"A few months ago, Professor Oak sent Gary to my Gym," she began to explain. "I was really sick and I couldn't finish up the work to get the Gym ready for the Pokémon Inspection Agency's visit. I was really annoyed, but I had no choice but to accept Gary's help. And, I don't know, over the few days he was there, I sort of fell for him... We've been seeing each other ever since."

"Oh my gosh, that's _so _romantic!" May gushed, wistfully clapping her hands together. "So...you haven't told anyone?"

"No," Misty shook her head. "Tonight is the first time we've been out in public together. Of course, the media is having a field day, but the only reaction I care about is Ash's."

"Hence the awkwardness back there," May put two and two together. "So he knows?"

"Not really. He knows I'm Gary's date, but he's probably trying to work out what's going on."

"Well...I must admit...I sort of always thought you might end up with Ash," May said sort of shyly, as though she didn't know if it was an appropriate thing to say.

"Yeah...so did I, for a long time," Misty admitted only to the second person ever. "But our lives are so different, and even if he was interested in me, holding a long-distance relationship together isn't something I could do. Gary's..._highly annoying_," she narrowed her eyes, and then smiled, "but he's also sweet and caring and he _gets_ me. I've never felt this way before..."

"So...you're happy?" May asked after a few moments of consideration.

"Yes," Misty answered immediately, she didn't even have to contemplate it.

"Then that's all that matters!" May smiled. "And once Ash knows, you'll feel so much better about it."

"I know..." Misty sighed, "I just don't want to hurt him. He's my best friend, and I'm sure he never thought I'd get with his childhood rival."

"It might take him some getting used to," May said, "but if he's the person we both _know _he is, he will be happy because _you_ are happy."

"I hope so..." Misty trailed off.

"So, I'll have to check out that shop then!" May piped up, and Misty whipped her head up in confusion. May's focus was not on her, though, it was on something approaching from behind her. Misty turned to see Ash, Brock and Max approaching them.

She turned back to May, who winked at her.

'Good save', she mouthed appreciatively.

"Misty," Brock met her in a brotherly embrace which instantly made her feel better. If there was one person she could count on, it was Brock, and it was so great to see him. Beside him, May's little brother Max gave her a hug - only he wasn't so little anymore. The young child from their travelling days was long gone, replaced by a tall, slightly lanky teenager, now much taller than his petite sister. He still had his glasses and long dark hair. He looked a lot more like his father now, Misty realised.

"How are ya, Misty?" he asked - his voice too had changed, it was much deeper.

"I'm good thanks, how about you Max? How's your journey?"

"It's great," he replied enthusiastically, "and Brock just said I could go and stay with him at his Pokémon Doctor Surgery for a while."

"Wow, that's great!"

Misty risked a glance at Ash, who had remained silent up until this point. She met his eyes awkwardly, noticing he was shuffling his feet, looking a little lost. Anxiety rose up within her, rising within her throat and stifling her ability to speak. How was she going to approach this? Just come out and tell him? Dammit, why was this so hard?

"You ok, Mist?" Ash inquired, peering at her suspiciously.

"Uh...yeah!" she stammered. "Actually...I have to go...to...the bathroom...to...fix my makeup!" she held up her arms and laughed in a way that she instantly knew was so awkward and stupid, and then walked away cursing herself.

Ash watched as Misty turned and tore away from them. Just what was going on here? First Gary says that Misty is his _date_ tonight, and now she's acting all weird. Why would Misty even come with Gary to something like this? Why would he even _ask_ her? She was _his_ friend, not Gary's!

"Weird..." Ash muttered as Misty's elegant blue dress and flowing ginger hair disappeared behind a crowd of people.

"What's up, Ash?" May asked him, knowing that after that terrible cover, Misty needed her help. She was a mess!

"Oh...nothing...it's just...don't you think Misty's acting kind of weird?"

"What? Why?" May feigned ignorance.

"Well, she _never _cares about her makeup," he said it so innocently that May had to hold back her laughter at how obliviously cute he was.

"Oh, Ash. You'll never understand girls. Just because Misty didn't care about makeup when she was on the road with you doesn't mean she doesn't now."

"I guess..." he trailed off, his mind racing at a million miles an hour. There was definitely something going on, and he was going to find out what it was.

_To be continued…_

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><p>Credits: Chapter title is from the song 'Heart in Chains' by Kate Voegele.<p> 


	4. Facing Up

**Arms**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

_Facing Up_

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><p>A big big shout-out to my amazing reviewers – I just love reading your comments and I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one won't be too far off, I promise, and I also promise that the drama is going to intensify!<p>

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><p>Misty was cursing her high heels for hindering her ability to walk faster as she made her way away from Ash and the others. She didn't <em>really <em>need to use the bathroom, but since she didn't really have any other reason for walking away from them, she figured she might as well try to at least _look _for it. She was just rounding a corner when someone from behind grabbed her around the waist and pinned her gently to the wall.

She was about to scream out when she realised it was Gary.

"Gary! What are you doing!"

He didn't answer her question, but instead grinned and leaned in to kiss her. She accepted the kiss and forgot about all her worries for a few seconds until they were forced to pull away.

"Sorry, you just looked _so_ sexy, and I couldn't resist," Misty's already reddened cheeks grew hotter and she was rendered speechless for the few moments that followed.

But while she was glad for the momentary distraction, she knew they had more important matters at hand.

"What are we going to do, Gary? Ash is already acting weird and we haven't even told him."

"Don't you think he would've put two and two together by now?"

"He's Ash!"

"Good point..." Gary trailed off, and then his thoughtful expression turned to one of nervousness. "Forget about that for a second. Come with me," he said, "I want you to meet my parents."

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><p>Misty clutched on to Gary's hand as he led her over to where his parents were. Her head was so muddled up with everything else that she hadn't had time to panic about meeting them, but all that panic was hounding her in the few seconds it took to find them.<p>

"You'll be fine," Gary reassured her, though he looked tense himself. This would probably be the first time he had introduced a girl to them, unless he had a serious girlfriend under the age of ten. Misty decided to dismiss that notion fairly quickly.

A few agonizingly nauseating moments later, they approached a group of adults. Misty didn't recognise any of them.

"That's them," Gary whispered a heads up, indicating to the two people on the far right. Misty could instantly see the resemblance. Putting on her best responsible girlfriend face, she followed Gary's lead.

"Mum, dad," he said, "this is Misty...my girlfriend."

Gary's father, who had the same piercing green eyes as his son as well as black hair that was going slightly grey and a tall, well-built frame, smiled kindly and shook Misty's hand. He was very good looking, with evidence of Gary's handsomeness in every inch of his face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!" Misty said, holding her hand out to shake his, but her voice came out in a tangle of nervousness.

"Likewise, and please call me Len," his voice seemed make her feel at ease and he accepted her hand with a friendly shake. "We've heard so much about you," he winked at his wife.

"I'm Lidia, Misty, it's wonderful to meet you."

"You too, Lidia," Misty replied. Lidia was one of the most beautiful women Misty had ever seen. She had mahogany hair fashioned into a chignon and hazel eyes that seemed to reflect all the colours in the room. It was apparent where Gary and Daisy got their height from, because she too was tall. Her long, dark purple dress fit her slim figure perfectly. What Misty liked most about her though was that she had a kind face, she didn't look at all like the monster that she had secretly feared, as all girlfriends did about their boyfriend's mother.

"What a stunning dress," Lidia said with a smile. "That colour looks beautiful on you."

"Thank you," Misty accepted the complement with a smile - she was getting better at this. "How was your trip?"

"It was long," said Len. "Fourteen hours on a plane is not the best."

"You're so lucky to live in Australia though," Misty was so glad it was so easy to talk to them, she had feared they would be stuck for conversation and their meeting would be awkward. "I've always wanted to visit all the beaches."

"Of course, because you're a Water trainer?" Lidia said. "Then, you would _love_ the Gold Coast. Perhaps you can visit with Gary sometime?"

"Uh...yeah!" Gary nodded with a smile.

"That would be _awesome_!"

"It's a shame that we can't stay longer than a few days. It would have been great to spend some more time with you, Misty," Lidia said, and Misty felt her heart leaping at the kind and inclusive words. "But tomorrow morning we will be having a family breakfast before we leave. I would love it if you would join us along with Gary."

"Of course, I would love to."

"Excellent," Lidia smiled.

After a few more minutes of chatter, Len and Lidia set off to find Professor Oak.

"They're great...I'm so relieved," Misty breathed to Gary, who only smiled.

"Told you you had nothing to worry about."

But she did have something to worry about - Ash. With the anxiousness about meeting Gary's parents gone, all of her other worries came flooding in.

There were hundreds of people here now, chatting in groups, dancing to the music played by a rather funky-looking DJ, eating and drinking. Misty realised she was pretty hungry but she didn't think she could stomach food at this point. She had to do this, otherwise she wouldn't be able to contain her anxiousness much longer.

"We need to tell Ash, Gary," Misty said quietly.

"Right," Gary agreed, his voice totally serious. Misty couldn't tell if he had been avoiding the topic because he, too, was afraid of the outcome, or because it simply wasn't of concern to him.

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><p>Ash was chatting to Professor Birch when he saw them - Gary and Misty. He politely excused himself and made his way over to them. He <em>had<em> to find out what was going on - why were they together all the time? It didn't make sense in any way, and he was getting more and more frustrated about being kept in the dark. May said he was overanalysing things, but something in his heart told him he wasn't.

As he approached them, he noticed the way they were close together, whispering about something apparently serious by the look of their body language. Misty was the first to see him. She stiffened immediately and indicated to Gary that he was there.

"What's going on here? I know something's up, now tell me," Ash said, but the words unintentionally came out like those of a stubborn child.

Nobody spoke for a few moments, until Misty finally gathered her ability to speak.

"We need to tell you something, but..." she glanced around, "not here. Is there somewhere private?"

Ash and Misty followed Gary to the side of the marquee that led to the Oak's living quarters. They passed the security guard and were in the Oak's foyer. Ash's heart was racing with every passing second. They faced one-another, tense silence the only thing existing between them for a few moments. Misty glanced at Gary, who nodded at her supportively. She had to be the one to say it.

"Ash...I...we..." Ash's expression was turning from befuddled to afraid. Did he suspect it? Misty went on, trying her hardest to steady her voice. Her hands were shaking, her head felt like it might explode. A few words and it would all be said and done.

"Gary and I have, well, we're dating," she said. The words lingered in the air like an echo.

Ash felt something shoot through him, a surge of shock and utter disbelief. His eyes widened and he watched as Gary took Misty's hand in his. Her eyes did not leave Ash's - those eyes that matched her dress so perfectly, eyes that belonged to the girl he once knew. But he felt like he didn't know her at all anymore. How could she be dating _Gary_? Gary of all people! He was a jerk to girls. He used to rave on and on about how 'easy' he could get them, use them and then dump them and move on to the next. How could Misty be doing this? It wasn't possible!

"What?" he asked, completely convinced that he hadn't heard correctly, but as Gary tightened his grip on Misty's hand, he felt that sinking feeling in his heart.

"I know it's unexpected, Ash..."

"Don't try to patronise me, _Gary!_" he spat the name like it was poison, anger was winning the battle over shock and hurt.

"Ash, please, you don't understand-" Misty began, before being interrupted as Daisy burst into the room.

"Oh, there you guys are!" she said, and then sensed the tension in the air. "Uh...everyone's about to sing Happy Birthday, and Gary you need to do your speech," she said more quietly, glancing between their stricken expressions.

"Right," Gary said.

Misty gave Ash a worried glance as he turned to leave. He could only look at her in disbelief. Misty, his _best friend_, dating _Gary?_ How long had this been going on for without him knowing? Months? Years? Did everyone else know except for him?

Ash stalked out into the marquee, ignoring the look of concern from Daisy Oak as he passed her.

Gary and Misty followed Daisy back into the marquee, where the excitable chatter seemed so far from the quiet, tense room they had just left.

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><p>Ash stood against the wall of the marquee, arms crossed, wanting more than anything to run, but he had to sit through a joyful tune of 'Happy Birthday', followed by speeches from Mrs Oak, the Professor and stupid stupid Gary, and watch in anger as Misty smiled at him lovingly. Near to him, he could see May, Brock and Max standing together, all glancing his way every so often, but he didn't feel like talking about it with them, not just yet. As soon as the formalities were over, Ash wasted no time in getting out of the marquee, walking faster and faster through the tangle of people, the loud music pounding his head, and the general air of festivity irritating him. He just wanted to get away, and as soon as he was outside, he felt much better. He could see the media still parked outside, so he sidestepped them and made his way back to where Pikachu had gone. Anything was better than being in that marquee, watching Misty with Gary.<p>

Standing beside Gary, Misty watched Ash leave. Her heart ached, she had to make him understand. Turning to Gary, he knew what she was thinking even before she said it.

"Go," he said with a smile. "It's better if you talk to him on your own anyway."

Misty smiled weakly and squeezed Gary's hand. Her stomach was knotted with too many emotions to count - fear, anxiety, nervousness. The combination was making her feel sick, but she knew what she had to do, and so she made her way through the crowd to follow Ash.

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><p>May was completely distracted from her conversation with Brendan Birch as she watched the scene playing out between Misty, Ash and Gary. She excused herself from the conversation to find Brock, who she found talking to an attractive girl near the bar.<p>

"Brock, I need to talk to you," she said as she grabbed him by the ear and pulled him away.

"May! Hey, ow, I was about to buy her a drink," Brock protested, glancing back at the pretty girl who was clearly confused.

"We've got more important things to worry about," May said as she let him go, crossing her arms. "What could be more important than my love life?" Brock wondered aloud, to May's dissatisfaction.

"Be serious for a second, Brock! There's something going on with Ash and Misty."

This caught Brock's attention, and May went on to explain what Misty had told her.

"I knew something was up. I can't believe it..." Brock said in response. "Misty and Gary, wow. Never expected that one."

"I think Ash is freaking out. She just followed him outside."

* * *

><p>Ash leaned against the fence that sectioned off the huge paddocks where the Pokemon lived. He recognised it - it was the one he, Misty and Brock had put back together after his Tauros had rampaged through it. Those times seemed lightyears away now. Ash looked up into the shining night sky; one of the best things about Pallet Town's remoteness was that you could always see the stars clearly, and tonight was no exception. In the cloudless sky, they shone like diamonds against the velvety navy sky. But not even the beautiful sight could calm him, Ash was angry, hurt, confused... Misty, his best friend, the first friend he had made on his journey, felt completely distant to him now, like he didn't know her at all anymore. Granted, he had not seen her in a few years, but he made sure to keep in contact, though not often enough, he knew. But she understood that life on the road got so busy, and time to make calls was limited. It wasn't that he didn't care about her, not at all. She was his best friend. The bond they shared was, so he thought, unbreakable. Was that what was upsetting him so much? Sure, he was shocked about the suddenness of all this, but was he really surprised that Misty had a boyfriend? After all, she was beautiful, smart, hard-working and loyal. No, any guy would fall for her, but why did it have to be <em>Gary<em>? Gary, who will probably hurt her in the end. Gary, who had always bragged about the fact that he would never settle down, that he would be a bachelor forever. How was it that Misty had fell for his act? He thought she was _smarter_ than that.

Ash wasn't left alone with his thoughts for long, for a few minutes later he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't turn, because he knew who it was.

"Ash," Misty's voice was small in the airy silence outside. He glanced down at the grass as she came to stand beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and he could tell she was upset by her shaky voice. He looked back up at her, her eyes glittering with tears in the moonlight. He hated to see anybody cry, but especially her.

Despite wanting to say yes, he couldn't. Was he ok? He didn't really know. But there were some things he did want to know.

"Why, Misty? Why _Gary_?" he asked, and he couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into his tone. She accepted the question and turned to look out into the paddock.

"I know you and him don't exactly see eye-to-eye most of the time...but...Gary's really a good guy. He's really been there for me and he...he has a good heart."

"Good guy?" Ash snapped, and Misty turned back to meet his eyes, anger burning like flames within their chocolate depths.

"You don't _know_ Gary like I do, Misty! He treats girls like _crap_. He's only going to hurt you!"

Misty growled inwardly at Ash's reasoning.

"He's changed. We've _all_ changed, Ash. We've all grown up, Gary too. Maybe he was like that when he was younger, but things are different now. I trust him."

"Gary will never change, Mist. I know it for a fact," Ash argued, to Misty's annoyance. What did Ash know? He and Gary's friendship these days was limited to a few times they had run into each other in Sinnoh. It was hardly enough for him to be able to make that kind of statement.

"You don't understand because you don't see it! But I do. Gary l-" Misty paused, biting on her lip for half a second as Ash's eyes flickered with harrowing astonishment. "Gary _loves_ me," she spoke more clearly, looking him straight in the eyes, defiant. This was the truth, and he had to hear it. "And I love him."

For a few moments, Misty wondered whether Ash was going to turn and run away from her, but he remained on the spot, his face contorted with resentment in the moonlight.

"You _love_ him?" he spat. "Fine," he turned back to the fence, looking out into the sparse paddocks, refusing to meet her eyes now because he couldn't, he was too hurt, too shocked. It was too much.

"Fine?" Misty felt a pang of tears threatening. "So that's it? That's all you can say?"

When Ash failed to reply, Misty wiped at her eyes furiously, knowing but not caring that her makeup was probably smudged.

"You're supposed to be my best friend. You're supposed to be there for me no matter what. Are you going to let this come between a ten-year friendship?" her voice was getting louder, but she didn't really notice. Disappointment was burning in her veins. She had expected Ash to take it a bit better than this. He was acting like a spoiled child. But what was at the root of his anger? Was it that he seriously doubted Gary's ability to treat her right? Was he simply concerned for her as a friend, or was it something more? Ash's lack of an answer was giving her no indication.

As Misty fell silent, Ash's mind was racing with thoughts so rapid that none of them made sense. His anger was distracting him and he couldn't work out why. All he knew was that he couldn't believe it - Misty, his best friend, was in love with Gary, of all people in the world. He knew he was giving Misty nothing in the way of an explanation, but in truth he couldn't because he didn't _know_ the answer. Would this really be the end of their friendship? His need to protect her was surely too overpowering, there was no way he could abandon her now that Gary was in the picture. All he wanted was for her to be happy, and he supposed she was. Was that enough for him? Could he sit by and watch her make a huge mistake?

"I don't know," he stated finally, still keeping his eyes from hers. It was the best he could do at this point, though he knew it wasn't the answer she wanted.

Misty couldn't stop the tears now, their tracks left stains down her cheeks. She couldn't be here anymore, not with Ash. Without a word, she turned from him and walked away, not looking back to see his distraught expression as he watched her go.

_To be continued…_

Credits: Chapter title is from the song 'Facing Up' by Kate Voegele.


	5. Riptide

**Arms**

Chapter 5

_Riptide_

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><p>Gary was making his way outside to where Misty had run off to. It had been at least fifteen minutes since she had set off to find Ash, and he couldn't help but feel worried. One little peek wouldn't hurt, just to make sure she was ok. As he reached the entrance, however, he was shocked to find Misty walking in his direction. His heart fell when he saw the tears in her eyes.<p>

"What happened?" he asked as he reached her.

"Ash is a jerk!" Misty replied, but her anger was weak against the despair that had enveloped her.

Gary took her in his arms and held her as she sniffed.

"What did he say?" he asked, still holding on to her.

"Nothing. Just, nothing. He's angry, but I don't know why. He won't give me a damn straight answer."

Gary remained silent while he processed her words. He'd had a feeling this might happen. Ash was never the most mature person when dealing with unexpected situations, and this sure would have been unexpected, but he had no right to make Misty feel bad about it. It seemed the only times he had seen Misty cry were because of Ash! Gritting his teeth to conceal his anger, Gary pulled away from Misty.

"I'll go and talk to him," he said. Misty could see his face tighten as he turned, and she knew that look.

"Gary-" she called, but she couldn't stop him, he was gone before she could call again.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ketchum?" Gary's voice pierced the quiet night air and frightened an unsuspecting Ash. He was quick to recover though, turning from the quiet paddocks and facing the source of his discomfort.

"Whatever do you mean?" Ash retorted sarcastically. Gary growled in anger.

"How dare you treat Misty like that. She was only being honest with you. Why don't you grow up!"

"How dare I? I am only trying to protect her."

"From what?"

"From you!" Ash's voice sliced through the conversation.

Sensing something was about to erupt between the two boys, Misty scooted inside to find Brock. She found him in deep conversation with May. Misty explained as quickly as she could and both followed her without question.

"You always do this, Gary! You draw them in, make them fall for you and then you dump them. Well, that's _not_ happening with Misty."

Gary's anger was at boiling point. Normally he could control himself, but right then and there he was reaching his limits. How dare Ash act like he knew him. How dare he act like he knew what was better for Misty than her own boyfriend. It was outrageous, so outrageous that it took every bit of restraint not to launch forward and punch him in the would sure shut him up.

"You just can't face that fact that Misty is happy without you! While you've been off on your little journeys, accomplishing your little titles and dreams, we've been moving on with our lives. You can either accept that, or stay away from her."

"How dare you!" Ash lost all sense of control in that moment. He barely felt his hand fly out to connect with Gary's face. It hit him in the lip, shocking him for a few moments.

Brock was at the exit to the marquee when he saw Ash lunge at Gary. He broke into a run just as their scuffle got more heated.

"That all you've got, Ketchum!" Gary retorted as he shoved Ash back.

"Try me," Ash spat, and his request was met with Gary's fist as it hit his eye forcefully. The shock knocked him back for a few seconds, before he charged forward.

"Gary!" Misty called in shock and ran over to the boys with May right behind her.

"Cut it out you two," Brock forced himself between them to stop their fighting. Gary turned the other way, checking his lip and finding blood, while Brock held Ash back.

"Calm down, Ash, this is not the answer to your problems," Brock held his younger friend by the shoulders as he tried to calm him down. He could see the red mark over his eye where Gary's fist must have connected with it. That was going to leave a bruise.

"Just leave me alone!" Ash argued and turned and ran off into the night, jumping the fence of the paddocks and disappearing.

Brock sighed as he watched him go. There was nothing he could do until he cooled off.

"I'll go and see if he's okay," May said, and he nodded. Ash wouldn't fight with May, perhaps she was the best person to talk to him. As May left to follow Ash, Brock walked over to Misty who was arguing with Gary.

"You punched him, really?"

"He started it!" Gary protested.

"Oh, great defense, Gary. You're both acting like children!" Misty turned and stalked away, fed up and wanting to be away from everyone.

"Great," Gary said as he watched her go. Brock shook his head. What a mess.

"I'll go and talk to her," Gary didn't argue as Brock left in the same direction as Misty.

_To be continued…_

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><p>Credits: Chapter title is from the song 'Riptide' by SIck Puppies.<p>

Reviews make me happy and when I'm happy I write faster. ;)


	6. Hold Onto Hope Love

**Arms**

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><p><strong>Author Notes:<strong>

This one is for the Advanceshippers reading. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing - I am so inspired by your comments that I am writing this quite quickly - woohoo. Please keep reviewing! I'd love to know what you think!

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><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

_Hold Onto Hope Love_

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><p>May had to take her shoes off as she made her way across the grassy paddocks to find Ash. He had sure taken off very quickly. She had been wandering for a few minutes when she stumbled across him, sitting on the mossy rocks surrounding the large pond where the grass Pokemon loved to hang out. May smiled when she saw their two Bulbasaur sitting around him, concerned ruby eyes looking up at his wilted frame. May's Bulbasaur caught sight of her and it bounded over to greet her. Ash turned to check who was there and then looked back out to the pond, putting his head in his hands. He really didn't feel like talking.<p>

May picked up her cute little Bulbasaur, who admittedly wasn't so little anymore, and walked over to Ash, her shoes still clutched in her other hand. She dropped them on to the grass and sat beside him, placing Bulbasaur down next to her partner. He smiled and acknowledged May with a nod and she petted him on the head.

"Are you okay?" May asked. Ash's gaze remained fixed ahead, watching the still water.

"My eye hurts," he eventually replied.

"Oh," May paused, then had an idea. She called Glaceon out and got her to produce a small pile of ice.

"Give me your handkerchief."

"Huh?" Ash replied, confused.

"The one in your pocket."

"Oh," he looked down, and sure enough there was the handkerchief, folded neatly over his breast pocket. Feeling silly, he handed it to her. She wrapped the ice in the handkerchief and handed it back to him.

"It's not frozen peas, but it will do," she said comically and then thanked her Glaceon before returning it to its Poke Ball. He couldn't help but stifle a smile as he put the ice over his eye. The relief was instant.

"Thanks," he said.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. May knew him well enough to know that she just needed to give him time to cool down, and then perhaps he would open up. It was her only option anyway, as she knew prodding him wouldn't work.

Eventually, he sighed tiredly. "I know I shouldn't have punched him, but that guy can be such a jerk."

"Well..." May began, but Ash cut her off.

"I mean, I know Misty is free to make her own decisions, but how could she have fallen for _him_?" The words lingered in the air for a few moments as May contemplated them. She couldn't take sides, in truth she thought Ash was being a bit immature, but she could see his point - though she wondered what the basis of his anger was.

"Ash, sometimes we can't help who we fall in love with, it just happens," she settled with.

"I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Is that because you have feelings for Misty?"

"No. I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about it."

"Could it be that you're so angry because you're...jealous of Gary?" Ash sighed and took a few moments to search through his thoughts. Was he jealous? Was that the problem? Did he have feelings for Misty that he had never realised until now? Misty...she was his best friend, the first person he had met on his journey. It was mostly thanks to her that he got as far as he did in the beginning. He probably wouldn't be the trainer that he was now if he hadn't met her. But did that mean that he liked her? He tried to compare the feeling he had when he was with Misty to how he was with May, Dawn and Iris. Dawn was like his little sister, Iris was like his _annoying_ little sister, and May was...well, he didn't know that either. But Misty...no, he didn't think it was feelings for her that was the cause of his anger about her being with Gary.

"I...don't think so," he decided. "It's not that I'm jealous because he's with her...I'm just worried about her, you know?"

May nodded contemplatively. So she was wrong - Ash didn't like Misty. She had thought that way for so long, the way he talked about her and the way they were when they were together, that it was a bit of a shock to hear otherwise.

"I understand. But...don't you think Misty's a good judge of character?"

"Yeah...but Gary has a way of luring girls in, especially nice girls. What if Misty doesn't realise what he's really like?"

"Ash, have you considered that Gary might have changed? Maybe he wants to settle down. Maybe he's over his bachelor life."

Ash paused, taking in her words. She was right, he supposed. Was he being too harsh on Gary? Certainly he'd proved he was a better person those few times they met up in Sinnoh. Perhaps he _had_ changed.

With a sigh, Ash nodded. "I guess...you might be right."

"I think you just need to trust Misty. She wouldn't get involved with him if she knew he wasn't totally committed. She's not a fool. In fact, I think Gary would be too scared of her to try anything anyway."

Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, with the threat of Gyarados and the mallet and all..."

May smiled, pleased she had been able to talk some sense into him, and also, creeping in the back of her mind, she found herself thoroughly glad that Ash wasn't going to go after Misty. After all, she had always hoped that against all odds, he might be interested in her. She knew now was not the right time to even attempt to go there, but she had hope now. She and Ash had shared a lot since they first met, and they were still close despite travelling in different regions. She always thought about him though, and though contact was scarce she wrote e-mails as often as she could and it made her day when she got one back from him. Her feelings for him were something she just couldn't shake, no matter how many years had passed since they had said their goodbyes and moved on to new ventures. It always came back to him, but she had never dreamed that anything could ever happen between them because she was certain he only had eyes for Misty. Now, she thought, maybe she might just have a chance.

On the ground, their Bulbasaur sat beside each other, her head resting on his. May reached down to pet hers.

"It must be nice for them...life is so simple."

Ash smiled. "Sure is." He paused for a few seconds and lowered the ice-bag from his eye. "I guess I should apologise to Misty...and Gary."

"Yeah, you should... It _was_ a pretty good punch though."

"I know, right! I got him right on the lip!" Ash perked up, and May joined in his laughter, before she suddenly shivered, putting her arms around herself to shield her body from the cool air.

"Man, it's really freezing out here in the open air."

Ash glanced over at her, all dressed up she looked more beautiful than ever. Had he realised that before? Yes, he had always thought she was beautiful. But it had never really meant anything more than that before. Now...now he couldn't keep his eyes away from her. Taking his jacket off, he gently placed it around her shoulders.

"There, that should help," he smiled timidly and she pulled the jacket closer around her body for warmth, trying to shield the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks. It smelled of his aftershave.

"Thanks Ash..."

"I should be thanking you," he said. "You always know what to say...thanks for being here."

May couldn't stop the blush that toned her cheeks as she felt herself get hotter.

"You're welcome," she smiled shyly, feeling out of control of her body as she had around him many times before. It was different now though. Before they were kids, and a crush is a crush. The feelings in her heart now were a little overwhelming. He glanced at her and smiled, his handsome yet boyish features shadowed in the moonlight as she smiled back.

"Hey May..." he said, a sudden idea having just popped into his head. "What are your plans after Sinnoh?"

"What?" she asked, caught off-guard by the question, "oh...I don't know. I've got no idea actually."

"Well...do you think you might...want to travel together again?"

"Really? Well uh...yeah! Yeah, that would be great!" May felt her heart warm and a current of excitement run through her body.

"Awesome! We made a great team back then. We had some great times," he smiled warmly, thinking of the memories he held from his time in Hoenn.

"We did," she smiled happily. "And here's to more great times," she held her hand up as though she had a glass in her hand. Ash followed suit and they 'toasted' their plan before collapsing into laughter at their childishness.

"I guess I'd better go and do all that apologising," he said after a few blissful minutes. He had almost forgotten about it, but it was time to make amends. Misty was right - he was supposed to be her best friend, and he was supposed to be happy for her no matter what. It was time to prove that.

Ash and May said goodbye to their Bulbasaur and made their way back to the party.

"Good luck," May said with a smile as he left her to find Misty, and she walked back inside the marquee, still clutching Ash's jacket around her body, and not able to keep the smile from her face.

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><p><em>To be continued...<em>


	7. Teardrop

**Arms**

Chapter 7

_Teardrop_

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><p>Thanks for the reviews everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you have a sec I'd love to know what you think. :)<p>

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><p>Misty wiped her eyes, swiping at the angry tears that had formed there. She felt stupid for crying, normally she was stronger than that, but this whole situation had her clutching at straws. Not only was Ash making her feel terrible, but Gary's inability to control his anger against his rival was frustrating. She felt like she was dealing with the younger versions of them rather than the mature men they should be. What was she going to do? She was not going to give up her relationship with Gary because Ash told her to - he had no right to request such a thing. She knew he was only trying to protect her, and she appreciated him looking out for her, but he had to understand that it was her decision. Why didn't he trust her judgement all of a sudden? Was he reflecting back to when guys like Rudy and Danny had entrapped her so easily with their complements and flirting? Was he jealous?<p>

"Misty-" her head whipped up to find Brock.

"Hey," she patted the bench seat beside her and he walked over and sat down.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm just...a little over it, I guess. I didn't think this would get so out of hand."

Brock nodded in understanding.

"This is not your fault, Misty. Don't tell me you're blaming yourself..." he watched her carefully, her forlorn expression, the tears that had streaked her makeup, he rarely caught Misty in a weak moment but when he did, he knew it must be serious.

"I'm not... I just wish Ash and Gary could be a bit more mature," frustration crept into her tone and she sighed. "Guess that was too much to expect."

"This goes deeper than just your relationship with Gary with those two. The history between them is one of bitter rivalry, and though I think that's faded somewhat over the years, it will always exist between them. Not that that's any excuse for a physical fight."

"I know. But why doesn't Ash trust me? Why doesn't he trust that I can make the right decision?"

Brock paused contemplatively for a few moments.

"You really love Gary, don't you?" he asked, and her eyes flickered.

"How can you tell?"

"Well, I don't think you would put yourself through this if you didn't," he said, and like always, he had got it spot on.

"Why can't Ash understand that?" she rubbed her nose and sniffed. Brock smiled sadly and put an arm around her, rubbing her back affectionately.

"He will. I think he just needs time."

Misty leaned into Brock's embrace, she could always count on him to make her feel better, and his brotherly affection could not have come at a better time.

A few moments later, Gary rounded the corner, his eyes downcast and full of guilt.

"Misty..." he said quietly, and Brock let go of his younger friend, taking Gary's appearance as his cue to leave them alone.

"I'll leave you two to talk," he said, and Misty nodded, glancing over at her boyfriend.

"Thanks, Brock," she said sadly. She sort of wanted to stay in his embrace a little longer, the longer she stayed there, the longer she could put off dealing with this.

"Hey, chin up kiddo," his kind eyes met her worried ones. "It's going to work out ok, I promise."

Misty forced a smile in response, and he left, leaving her and Gary in silence.

"I'm sorry, Misty," Gary's expression was pleading as he sat beside her. She didn't meet his gaze, instead shifting her eyes to look at her hands, curled into tight balls in her lap. Misty knew from the beginning that this relationship was going to be fraught with problems, she supposed she needed to work out whether it was worth it for her. But, without a doubt, she knew the answer to that question.

Gary's stomach was knotting more and more with each passing second that Misty remained silent.

"I just wanted to protect you. I hate seeing you cry, and you shouldn't have to shoulder all the issues between Ash and I, because that's what this comes down to, Misty. It's me he doesn't like, not you."

Misty contemplated his words. Perhaps he was right, but it still didn't make the situation between her and Ash any easier. She may have just lost her closest friend. The thought of not ever speaking to him again was unsettling. She wanted to be there for him throughout his life, see him achieve his dreams and be there for him when he didn't.

As Misty's silence continued, Gary was growing more and more afraid that he was about to lose her. What if she had realised that it was Ash she wanted after all? What if she was going to choose him?

"I don't want to lose you, Misty," he pleaded, placing his hand over hers. With an inward sigh, she loosened her grip and let his warm hand take hers.

"You're not going to lose me. I love you," she said, finally looking up to meet his face. Relief flashed across his face.

"And Ash?" he asked, despite not wanting to mention the name that sent bitter thoughts through his mind.

"Ash is my best friend..." Misty said quietly, her expression forlorn, "but if he can't accept this relationship, then...I guess...I guess we can't be friends anymore..."

Gary watched concernedly as tears simmered in Misty's eyes once again. It was so obvious how much this was hurting her. She looked away again to hide her tears, she didn't want him to think she was weak, but this was really breaking her heart and she couldn't shake it.

Gary squeezed her hand again and she met his eyes, which were dancing with a small smile.

"Ash will come around, I know it. There is no way he will want to lose your friendship. And if he does, then he's stupider than I ever thought."

Misty stifled a giggle. "He is pretty stupid isn't he."

"Very," Gary sat back, glad she was smiling.

Ash saw them as he rounded the corner - Brock had told him where they were, as well as a stern message not to let his temper get the best of him and to be sensible. Sensible had never been one of his attributes, but for Misty, he would try. They saw him, and he shoved his hands in his pockets nervously as he walked towards them. Misty's smile left her face, and Gary's eyes narrowed in warning. With their eyes on him, the walk towards them seemed to take forever.

He sort of wished Gary would leave, but he remained fixed by Misty's side and he didn't look like he was going anywhere.

Ash's eyes remained fixed on Misty, searching for any reaction to his appearance. As he neared them, to his dismay, she crossed her arms.

"If you're here to argue with me, I don't want to hear it." Ash sighed, knowing he deserved her cold attitude. How was he going to make it up to her?

"I'm not," he said quietly.

Misty fell silent, her face softened and she glanced away.

"Look," Ash focused his attention on only her. "I'm sorry. I let my anger get the best of me. I didn't mean to upset you. You were right, Mist. I am your best friend, and I will be there for you no matter what."

A tense moment passed between the three as Ash's apology hung in the still air, blending with the undertones of the bass from the music being played at the party.

Misty's mind raced - it was a thoughtful apology, and the sincere look in his eyes proved that he indeed meant everything was saying.

Ash's eyes shifted from Misty to Gary, who looked as though he was holding back from saying something.

"And I'm..." Ash clenched his fist at his side, "sorry I punched you. I was out of line," he finished uncomfortably, wishing one of them would break the silence.

Misty glanced at Gary, who seemed to be analysing Ash's wilted form. Though awkward, that apology would have been hard for Ash, who was so proud.

Gary, too, was realising how proud he was being. He only wanted to protect Misty, but in getting into a fight with Ash, he knew he'd handled the situation in the wrong way. He put himself in Ash's shoes for a moment, and realised where he was coming from. His best friend had run off with his rival, whom he knew had a shady past. Wouldn't he be concerned if he were Ash?

"I'm not gonna hurt her, Ash," he said, feeling a sudden sense of understanding develop between them.

Ash nodded but his expression remained emotionless - Gary couldn't tell whether he felt the same.

"Gary, can you leave us to talk for a bit?" Misty turned to her boyfriend, who despite looking doubtful, nodded in understanding. Ash and Misty were left in silence as Gary walked away.

Misty patted the seat beside her and Ash obeyed, moving to sit beside her. They sat in silence for a few moments until Misty's voice spoke, small and nervous.

"I'm sorry, Ash."

"What for?" he turned to look at her.

"For making this so awkward for you. I should have told you from the beginning. I just...didn't want to hurt you. And in the end, I did anyway."

Ash watched Misty's downcast expression, which refused to meet his as she spoke.

"No, Misty. You don't have to be sorry. You've done nothing wrong. I just overreacted, that's all. You know how I am, I always act before thinking. I'm sorry I was such an idiot. I've hurt you unnecessarily, and I feel terrible."

Misty finally met his eyes, a little shocked at his words, so heartfelt and honest and...mature.

"I meant what I said, Mist. If you're happy, I'm happy. The truth is, Gary's not all that bad. And I'm sure that if you chose him, he must be a good guy, because I know you, and I know you would never date anybody that would treat you bad. You're my best friend, Misty, and I don't want to lose that ever. You've been there since the start and I want it to be like that until the end."

Misty couldn't stop the tears from once again, flowing from her eyes. Ash gave a small smile and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she cried into his shirt.

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you for understanding. I was so afraid it was going to be the end of our friendship. I don't ever want to lose what we have either."

It was then that Misty understood her true feelings for Ash Ketchum. He really was everything to her, but in a different way than what she had thought for such a long time. She knew what romantic love was - that was how she felt when she was with Gary. What she had with Ash was love that was just as strong and just as powerful, but it was and always would be friendship. The strongest friendship she knew, and one that she couldn't do without.

"Now, c'mon," Ash rubbed her back as he pulled out of their embrace. "I think that's enough drama for one night, don't you?"

Misty let out a chuckle and wiped her eyes, nodding. It was enough drama for a lifetime as far as she was concerned.

"What do you say we go back to the party and have some fun? And eat. I'm starving."

It felt good to laugh, and Ash was glad to see Misty smile. Though he still had reservations about Gary, his trust in Misty outweighed that now. He put an arm around her as they walked back to the party.

_To be continued..._


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